Steam-power system.



2 BHEET8-BHEET 1.

Patented June 3,1913.

E. THOMSON.

STEAM POWER SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 30, 1908.

fin .00. a, Q h. hm b m m M T? u 0 A. o a Q m m v E m H O o 2 .0. A!

Witnesses:

E. THOMSON. STEAM POWER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1908.

PatentedJune 3, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A Q M. r ravl HM mm v/ n 4 u 1 E om F m. m Wm x91 Inventor: EIHyuTmson',

wltnessesi His orne y.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIHU rnomson, or swamrsco'rr, m'assacnusn'rrs, ASSIGNOB TO GENERALnmorarc com any, A coaronarron or NEW YORK.

sri mownn SYSTEM.

Be it known that I, ELIHU TrroMsoiv, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swampscott, county of Essex, State of Massachu'seltts,useful Improvements in Steam-Power Sys-- terns, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to meansQfOI generating elastic'fluid vapor forpower purposes, and especiallyto steam boilers and their controllingdevices for automobile vehicles.

For driving large trucks used for heavy haulage it is steam engines, andas these vehicles run at low' speeds and in a comparatively smooth andsteady manner, itis possible to fire the boiler with solid fuel, such ascoal or'coke,

instead of with gasolene, oil or other liquid hydrocarbon. The objectionto solid fuel is that when the consumption of steam ceases there is aptto be a blowing off of steam at the safety valve owing to the continuedheating of the boiler by the bed of burning fuel. flash or coil type,and is exposed directly to the fire, the shutting down of the steamconsumption will cause the water to be driven out of the tubes, so thatthey are liable to overheat.

My invention aims to obviate these difliculties by locating the fire andthe boiler in separate communicating chambers, with means forrestricting or closing the communication between them so that the firecan no longer heat the boiler when it is desired to check the generationof steam. The restriction or closure may be made manually orautomatically as desired. Means may also be provided for shutting offthe air supply from the fire when the fire box is shut off from theboiler, steam valve of both of said means so that they can be operatedsimultaneously therewith when the engine is shut down by closing thevalve. By thoroughly jacketing the fire box with a and, for soconnecting the good non-conductor of heat the fire will re-' main alightfor many hours and ready atany time to be brought into service byletting in air and opening up communication with the boiler.

The accompanying drawings illustrate.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 30, 1908. Serialm). 446,084.

have invented certain new and quite customary to employ Furthermore, ifthe boiler be of thethe engine with either or Patented June 3, 1913.

diagrammatically an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 being asectional elevation of a comp ete system, Fig. 2 showing a modificationof the fire-box and boiler, and

Fig 3 being a sectional elevation ofsaid system showing a modificationof the controllin levers.

The boiler 1, Figs. 1, or 33, Fig. 2,-is represented as a coil or flashboiler, but this is simply illustrative, as it may be of any desiredtype. In any case it is inclosed in a jacket 2,'Fig. 1, or 34, Fig. 2,of heat refracting material, provided with a flue or chimney 3, Fig. 1,or 35, Fig. 2, for the escape of hot gases, said flue being preferablydirected downward, as shown. The boiler chamber may also have an openingat the top closed by a lid 4:, Fig. 1, or 36, Fig. 2, which can beremoved when starting the fire in order to give a' good natural draft.The fire-box 5, Fig. 1, or 37, Fig. 2, also, good non-conductor of heat.grate (3, Fig. 1, or 38,

It contains a Fig. 2, of any suitable construction to support the coal,coke or other solid fuel 7 Fig; 1, or 39, Fig. 2, which may be fed ineither by hand from time to time through an opening closed by a lid 8,Fig. 1', or door 8, Fig.2, or automatically by any well-known mechanism,as will be readily understood-..

Between thefire-box and the boiler chamber is a passageway which can becontrolled so as to prevent the hot gases from exerting an undue heatingeffect upon the boiler. In Figs. 1 and 3 this passageway can be entirelyor damper or valve 9, preferably arranged to slide, and capable ofoperation by suitable mechanism, such as the lever 10 and rocker arm 11engaging with a connecting rod 12 pivoted to said damper. The lever isrendered adjustable by a latch 13 and a notched. quadrant 14, or otherequivalent device. In order to control the supply of air to the ash-pit,a door 15, Figs. 1 and 3 or 40, Fig. 2, is provided, and if desired itmay be operated by the lever 10 through a second rockarm 16 andconnecting-rod 17. By slotting the rod 12, the lever can be manipulatedto regulate the door after been shut, in order togovern the fire'whileit is shut oil from the boiler.

Fig. 2' shows aconstruction by means of which, instead of employing adamper or is lined with a partially closed by a the damper 9 has valveto cut ofl the communication between the fire-box and theboiler-chamber, the same or a similar efiect can be produced by simplyrestricting the passageway between the fire and the boiler, as shown at18. This passageway is so small that the radiation from the glowing fuelis not sufficient to overheat the boiler when steam consumption ceases,especially when the draft of air to the fire is checked by adamper inthe ash-pit or in the flue or chimney leading from the boiler chamber.The size of the-passageway and the control of the draft may be soregulated as to permit a small leakage of heat to the boiler chamber,just sufiicient to maintain the pro-per temperature of the boiler, andtherefore have it ready for sudden duty at any time. If desired, thepassageway may be subdivided in any suitable manner, so as to distributethe flow of hot gases when the fire is under draft. Such a subdivisionmay be conveniently effected by the deflector or baffle-plate 19 locatedin the boiler chamber just above the passageway 18, which plate alsochecks radiation of heat from the fire to the boiler when the draft iscut ofi while the engine is shut down.

In order to illustrate a complete power system, I have shownthe boilerin Figs. 1 and 3 connected by a pipe 20 with an engine 21, the admissionof steam to the cylinder being controlled by a throttle valve 22. The

- engine exhausts into a condenser 28 from on the lever 10.

which the water of condensation drains into the water-tank 24, whichsupplies the boiler through a steam pump 25 or other equivalentwater-feeding device. The exhaust steam from the pump,and also any steamwhich passes through the condenser flows to an ejector 26, Figs. 1 and 3or 41, Fig. 2, located in the down-draft flue 3 or 85 respectively forproducing a draft on the fire when the engine-is running.

It is desirable to interconnect the mechanism for controlling the damperand door and that for operating the throttle valve of the engine, sothat when the steam is cut off the fire will also be checked or shutoff.

from the boiler. An arrangement for effecting this is shown in Fig. 3.A. sector gear 27 is secured to the stem of the throttle valve 22 andmeshes with a rack 28 sliding in guides 29. A rod 30 is'pivoted to therack and is provided with a plurality of notches 31 adapted to engagewith a pin 32 When the lever 10 is moved to shut the damper 9 and door15, the steam will be shut'oif also. Theno tches 31 enable the relativeclosing points of the damper and door and the throttle to be adjusted.

Since there is no blowing of steam through an exhaust pipe or at asafety-valve, and no.

overheating of the boiler when steam is not. being used, this system isespecially adapted to trucks for use in city streets. But it is alsoapplicable to railway vehicles, and even to stationary plants, beingreadily capable of automatic regulation for variations in speed or load,in ways which will be evident to the skilled engineer.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. The combination with a generator for supplying motive fluid -to aprime mover, of a chamber containing said generator, 9. fire-box in'which fuel is burned to supply heat to the generator, a passageconnecting the fire-box with the chamber to deliver heat to thelatter,means arranged in the passage for checking the radiation of heatfrom the fire-box to the chamber to check the generation of motive fluidwhen the prime mover isshut down, a device for shutting off theadmission of air to'the fire-box so that in cooperation with said meanscombustion and loss of heat by radiation will be substantiallyprevented, valve means for regulating the admission of motive fluid tothe prime mover, and means for simultaneously closing the valve and saiddevice.

2. The combination, with a boiler for supplying steam to an engine, of achamber in which the boiler is located, a fire-box in which fuel isburned to supply heat to the boiler, a conduit between the fire-box andthe chamber, means for confining the heat of the fire to the fire-boxand checking combustion when the engine is shut down, comprising anon-conducting lining for the walls of the fire-box, means for shut-tinoff the admission of air to the fire-box, an a device arranged in saidconduit for checking the radiation of heat from the fire-box to theboiler, avalve for regulating the admission of steam to the engine, andmechanism for simultaneously opening and closing thevalve and said meansfor shutting off the admission of air to the fire-box.

3. The combination with a generator for supplyin elastic fluid vapor toa prime mover, o a chamber containing said generator, a fire-box forheatin the generator which is arranged separate rom said chamber' butin, communication therewith and means including devices arrangedadjacent to the inlet and outlet of the fire-box for simultaneouslyshutting off the heat from the chamber to check the generation of vaporand the entrance of air to the fire-box to arrest combustion thereinwhen the prime mover is shut down.

4. The combination with a generator for supplying elastic fluid vapor toa prime mover, o a chamber containing said generator, a separatelyarranged fire-box, a grate for solid fuel in said fire-box, a damperbetween the fire-box and the chamber, a door for regulating the supplyof air to the firebox, and means for operating said damper supplying theentrance of air in the fire-box.

5. The combination with a generator for prime mover,

elastic fluid to a ,of a chamber containing the 'enerator, a fire-box searate from the cham er, a grate for solid ihel arranged insaid'fire-box, a conduit for conveying gases heated by the combustion ofthe fuel from the fire-box to the chamber to heat the generator duringits normal operation, a damper in the conduit, a door for controllingthe Supply of air to the fire, means connectin the damper and the door,and a device or actuating said means to shut off the heat from thechamber to check the generation of fluid and arrest combustion in thefire-box when the prime mover is shut down.

6.'The combination with a prime mover and a generator for supplyingelastic fluid to the prime mover, ofa chamber containing the generator,a fire-box separate from the chamber, a grate for solid fuel arranged insaid fire-box, a conduit for conveying the gases heated by thecombustion of the fuel from the fire-box to the chamber to heat thegenerator during its normal operation, -a damper in the conduit, a door'for controlling the supply of air to the fire, a de- 1 viceforregulating the supply of elasticfiuid 'for to the prime mover, mechanismconnecting the damper and the door with said device,

' and means for operating said device which acts through said mechanismto move the ,damperand the door to shut ofl the heat from the chamber tocheck the generation of fluid. and to arrest combustion in the fireboxwhen said device is operated to out ofi the supply of fluid to the primemover.

7. The combination with an engine and a generator for supplying steam tosaid engine, of a chamber containing the generator, a fire-box separatefrom the chamber, a grate solid fuel arranged in the fire-box, a conduitfor conveying the gases generated and heated by the combustion of thefuel from the fire-box to the chamber to heat the generator during itsnormal operation, a damper in the conduit, a valve for controlling thesupply of steam tothe engine,

a connection between the valve and the damper, and means acting throughsaid connection to slmultaneously close the valve and v the damper.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of July,1908.

ELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. MCMANUS,,JR., HENRY O. WESTENDARP.

